Clothes-pounder



'(No Model.)

. O.LEDD Y. GLOTHES POUNDER.

Patehted'Jan. 14, 1896 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OIVEN LEDDY, OF MCKINNEY, TEXAS.

CLOTHES-POUNDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,169, dated January14, 1896.

Application filed July 9, 1895. Serial No. 555,430. (No model.)

I0 00% whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN LEDDY, a citizen of the United States. residingat McKinney, in the county of Collin and State of Texas, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Founders; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in clothes-washers; and it consistsin certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same partsare indicated by the same letters throughout both views.

Figure 1 represents an inverted plan view of the clothes-pounder, andFig. 2 represents a central vertical section along the line or at ofFig. 1, parts being broken away.

A represents a metallic frame in the form of aquadrangular truncatedpyramid, terminating at its lower end in a bead a and at the upper endin a hollow cylindrical sleeve 13. The top of the truncated pyramid isalso provided with a cap A projecting outward and overlapping the top ofthe pyramid, which is perforated beneath the said cap, as at J in Fig.2, to permit the passage of air beneath said cap and into the chamberA", which is formed in the upper part of the pyramid, and is partiallyshut in at its base by the diaphragm C, which is perforated, as at E,for the passage of air from beneath into the said chamber A". Beneaththis diaphragm C is a quadrilateral box-shaped chamber D, open at thebottom and provided with lateral open-' ings G, near the top thereof, asshown in Fig. 2. The top of this box D is secured to the diaphragm C,while the bottom is beaded, as shown at d in Fig. 2.

In the angles of the pyramid and somewhat above the bottom thereof aremounted four tubes, open at both ends and inclined inward at a somewhatsharper angle than the sides of the pyramid, being secured at theirupper ends to the diaphragm C, which is cut away, as at I, to admit thefree passage of air through the said tube.

The handle 13 is pushed down in the top of the sleeve B about as far asthe top of the truncated pyramid, leaving beneath the said handle in thesaid sleeve an air-chamber open at the bottom and closed at the top.

In operation the pounder is by means of the handle moved up and down inthe water over the wash-clothes, compressing the air in the pyramid andcausing the same to force the water and suds down in and amongst theclothes and thus causing a circulation of the soapy water and theconsequent removal of dirt and other impurities from the clothes. Theopenings J allow the pounder to be lifted upward without incurring anyappreciable resistance due to suction but are not made large enough toadmit of the excessive escape of air therethrough.

By having the tubes I-I secured in the corners of the pyramid the saidtubes are braced and held against any tendency to twist the same.

By the herein-described construction great strength and lightness ofparts is obtained, as well as great efficiency in operation.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is-

In a clothes pounder, the combination with a pyramidal vessel A, open atthe bottom and perforated as at J near the top thereof, of a cap Acovering the top of said pyramid and leaving an air passage for theescape of air through said perforations J, a sleeve projecting throughthe top of said pyramid and through said cap, and extending downwardtoward the base of the said pyramid, a handle secured in the upperportion of said sleeve, a diaphragm secured in said pyramid near thebase thereof, and provided with perforations, a rectangular box open atthe bottom and secured beneath said diaphragm, and partly closed at thetop by said perforated diaphragm, with passages G in the sides of 9 saidbox near the top thereof, and inclined tubes open at both ends andsecured in the angles of said pyramid and opening through saiddiaphragm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OWEN LEDDY. Witnesses:

T. C. PERRY, W. B. SCHIMMELPFENING.

